[Rena PoV]
I felt useless. Aki could fight so well with his bow and now the spear, taking all those goblins alone. Yet I struggled just to buy some time until he returned. Now my body was full of injuries; avoiding the old goblin's disgusting magic was my limit...
Aki suddenly rushed from the left, holding a spear, but his atmosphere seemed strange.
[Do you feel like a burden to Aki?]
A woman's voice sounded in my head—the words were strangely soothing and made me want to listen even though now wasn't the time!
I shouted to Aki to warn him about the damage that huge blue goblin could do, but after my voice resounded, the entire world froze, becoming dark and cold with a bitter wind that brushed against my skin like a pair of hands.
Aki was gone.
Yuzu was gone.
Even the goblin village was gone.
Pure darkness, like the nights when mom went out to meet men and dad would drink.
[Oh my? Is that your darkness? What a horrible thing, if only little Aki knew...]
"Don't tell him!"
"Aki... liked my dad and would always go to watch football with him."
Even if that man was scum to me, he was always good to Aki, as if treating him better than his daughter.
Or did he worry that I was even his?
[Kukuku, why did you purposely push Aki away when you knew he was suffering?]
"I didn't!"
"What would have happened if someone labelled as a filthy slut who would fuck anyone and sells her body for spare change began to treat him kindly?"
"They would have bullied him worse!"
[Oh my~ don't get worked up.]
[Wouldn't they have fucked you for real in front of him to make him despair?]
"!!!"
I don't want to hear these things, and Aki is fine with it... He took my first time and didn't mention the scar on my back.
He kissed it gently!
[That scar stops you from helping him now, even if you can fool him...]
[You cannot fool me. It hurts, right?]
[Holding that club, swinging, even moving causes stabbing pains to shoot down your back and right shoulder.]
This strange voice, was it some magic the shrivelled-up goblin cast? It knows my insecurities and worries...
I am scared that if Aki knows the truth, he won't take me with him or let me fight, leaving me back home while he travels the land and meets wonderful people...
[Wonderful girls, right?]
[Worry not—I am not some stupid goblin magic.]
[I am a goddess from this world and the one who helped Aki reach his current potential.]
A goddess...
Even coming to another world makes it hard to believe in those existences above.
[Haha, cute little girl. I will offer you this chance once.]
[Are you willing to become something else to support Aki? To use your arm and body without being held back by the scars and defects caused by your father's abuse?]
"..."
[Think carefully? The damage and past will never need to be told if your body is reborn. Aki will be happy to see a strong, beautiful you that can fight as well as him.]
[You can be happy, supporting him and fighting by his side, making sure that only girls you approve of might become his women as his first woman.]
I hate this voice, this woman and her ability to see my dirty thoughts...
Those that I keep hidden even from myself.
Yet I cannot refute her!
"Who are you? What is your name!"
[Swear on your soul that you will never tell Akira, and I shall bestow my holy name and title!]
Lie to Aki!?
[No, don't tell him. That isn't lying.]
"..."
This woman was horrible and could never help Aki out of kindness or because he deserved all the good in the world.
She wants something from him, and there must be a reason she wants him when she could have chosen the Hero!
I must swear, must learn.
Then one day for sure I can tell him, even if I can't... I can protect him!
[Such an adorable girl...]
[If you were dead when they summoned you, I might have chosen...]
"Eh? What do you mean by dead when they summoned us?"
Her words were so precise that I felt myself getting a foothold each time and forming a sense of ground to resist her tricks or possible lies...
She broke my guard and made me need the answers!
[The king lied.]
[You can go home. Rather, they will send you home when your task is finished.]
"Eh? But they said..."
[However, those who have died and been resurrected will become slaves to the kingdom; call it a very dark lie.]
It hurt my chest for my slight belief in this strange kingdom's leader and the knights who taught us, saying we should fight hard and not worry about death...
Were we all being tricked?
[They told you that their holy priests and the maiden could revive someone who died, right?]
"Y-yeah..."
Somehow, this woman, goddess...
All her words seemed true, but with a slight tinge of falsity or honey tied to them, she was not a goddess on the holy or divine side that the knights taught us about!
[Once you are brought back, any link with that world will be severed, and your soul will be used as the collateral to revive you.]
[The first time, you will only lose a small part of your freedom...]
[However, each time you are brought back... it will eat away your soul until you are nothing but a tool of the kingdom, a heartless, soulless monster with great strength.]
I am not smart, and my head began to hurt from all these things while ensuring the world wasn't moving.
"Then we will all go back if we defeat the demon queen without any deaths?"
[Everyone but Akira]
Again, her sweet voice and the change of the topic made me forget when she mentioned transferring when already dead...
I don't believe it...
How could Aki be dead? It was the end of school, and he was sure to go home like normal. I know I follow him every day!
With renewed vigour, I intended to debunk her lies and find the truth... But then a strange feeling happened as my body shook wildly as if the world was spinning the entire scene changed.
It was our world...
At the school at dusk, people were starting to leave the yard while I was standing on the rooftop watching the back of someone...
Someone I knew too well.
Aki was stood on the opposite side of the steel fence, hanging forward with a dark expression.